Hollywood, Florida

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Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.[6] The average temperature is between 68 and 83°F. As of July 1, 2015 Hollywood has a population of 149,728.[7] Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now the twelfth-largest city in Florida.[8] Hollywood is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.

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Joseph W. Young founded the city in 1925. He dreamed of building a motion-picture colony on the East Coast of the United States and named the town after Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.[9] Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920, and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.

Hollywood beach in August 2014

Young had a vision of having lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel (Hollywood Beach Hotel, now Hollywood Beach Resort), country clubs, and a main street, Hollywood Boulevard.[10] After the 1926 Miami hurricane, Hollywood was severely damaged; local newspapers reported that Hollywood was second only to Miami in losses from the storm.[9] Following Young's death in 1934, the city encountered more terrific hurricanes and the stock market crashed with personal financial misfortunes.[10]

Hollywood is a planned city. On Hollywood Boulevard is the Mediterranean-style Joseph Young Mansion, built around 1921, making it one of the oldest houses in Hollywood.

Hollywood is located in southeastern Broward County, and includes about 5 to 6 miles (8.0 to 9.7 km) of Atlantic Ocean beach, interrupted briefly by a portion deeded to Dania Beach. It is bounded by these municipalities:

As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.00.

Sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean in Hollywood

Hollywood's paved beach Boardwalk

The city's age demographic shows a mixed population with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 90.9 men.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,714, and the median income for a family was $55,849. Males had a median income of $33,102 versus $21,237 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,097. About 9.9% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, Hollywood had the seventy-fifth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the U.S., at 4.23% of the city's population,[34] and the sixty-fifth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.26% of the city's population (tied with both the town and village of Mount Kisco, New York.)[35] It also had the fifty-seventh highest percentage of Peruvian residents in the US, at 1.05% of the city's population (tied with Locust Valley, New York),[36] and the twentieth highest percentage of Romanian residents in the US, at 1.1% of the its population (tied with several other areas in the US).[37]

Hollywood is filled with about 60 parks, seven golf courses, and sandy beaches that run for miles.

The famous Hollywood Beach is known for its great broadwalk that extends about 2.5 miles along the Atlantic Ocean.[6] Parking is available on side streets or in parking garages for a large fee, and public trolleys run through the day. Countless restaurants and hotels line the broadwalk along with a theatre, children's playground, and many other attractions including bicycle rental shops, ice cream parlors, souvenir shops, and a farmer's market. Many of the restaurants offer outdoor seating for patrons to enjoy the seabreeze and scenery. The broadwalk is vibrant and lively and is a scenic place for walking and jogging; there is also bike lane for bicyclists and rollerbladers. In the evenings, many restaurant and the bandshell off of Johnson Street showcase musicians and spontaneous dancing may occur in the broadwalk.

Young Circle is another exciting area surrounded by dozens of shops, restaurants, and bars. A Food Truck Takeover occurs every Monday, during which dozens of local food trucks park and create an ever-changing opportunity for hungry masses to experience a variety of cuisines; one can expect to see Cuban, Venezuelan, Mediterranean, Mexican, Jamaican, and/or Peruvian foods in addition to barbecue, burgers, gourmet grilled cheese, and dessert trucks.[38]

On May 2, 2016, the Miami Herald reported about "a man from Hollywood," James Muhammad (legal name James Medina), who planned to bomb a synagogue in Aventura, and who was recorded stating "Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house."[50][51]

The Hollywood Garden Club building was built in 1950 and is located at 2940 Hollywood Boulevard. The building, which is in a total state of abandonment, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 15, 2005; reference #05000052.

The Hollywood Women’s Club building was built in 1922 and is located at 501 North 14th Avenue. On February 10, 1995, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places; reference #95000055.

The Hammerstein House was built in 1935 and is located at 1520 Polk Street. It now houses the Hollywood Historical Society. On February 15, 2005 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places; reference #05000051.

The Joseph Wesley Young House was built in 1925 and is located at 1055 Hollywood Boulevard. Joseph W. Young was the founder of Hollywood, Florida. The house was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 1989, reference #89001076.

The Hollywood Printing and Publishing Plant building was built in 1924 and is located 21st. Ave. The building, which is now used as a restaurant, served as the 1st. City Hall of Hollywood.

The Flora Apartment Building was built in 1923 and is located at 1656 Polk Street.

The Hollywood Beach Hotel was built in 1923 and is located at 101 North Ocean Drive.

The Great Southern Hotel was built in 1924 and is located in Young Circle between Hollywood Blvd. and Harrison Street. The hotel is one of two remaining hotels built by Joseph Wesley Young, the founder of Hollywood.

The Hollywood Playhouse built in 1960 and located at 2640 Washington Street. The historic building now houses a Christian Church called “Real Church”.

^JAY, WEAVER (2 May 2016). "Plot to blow up Aventura synagogue ends with man's arrest". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 3 May 2016. A man from Hollywood is in federal custody [...] James Medina, also known as 'James Muhammad,' [...] Before his arrest, Medina made three videos with his cellphone: In the first, he was recorded saying, "Aventura, watch your back. ISIS is in the house."